Eoland king



(NoModeL) R. KING.

Toe Weight for Horses.

No. 241,887. 8 Patented-May 24,1881.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR nmmmwmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICELQ ROLAND KING, OF WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND.

TOE-WEIGHT FOR HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,867, dated May 24, 1881.

Application filed December 31, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ROLAND KING, of Warwick, in the county of Kent and State ofRhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toe-Weights for Horses, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in those toe-weights that are secured directly to the shoe,'and do not depend on straps to hold them in place.

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the weight. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side of the same. Fig. 3 shows the toe-weight attached to the horses foot, the weight being represented in section to show the relative po sition of the parts. Fig.4 is a representation of the bolt and screw-nut.

Ais the weight, made usually of cast metal.

0 o are prongs projecting backward from the base of the weightA. They are made ofwrought metal to insme toughness, and are secured to the weight preferably by putting them in the mold and casting the weight on them; or they may be otherwise secured. A slot or opening,j, is made in the base of the weight A to receive the bolt 8-, and the outer end of this slot has a recess, a, countersunk in it to receive the screw-nut d. The bolt and not are prevented from coming down out of the slot, when the Weight is in use, by the lower sid'es of the recess a, which partly surround the nut and keep it in place.

B is the hoof, which is pared away suifticiently to admit the prongs 0 0 between it and the shoe 0, in which a hole, r, is made to receive the hook end of the bolts. In attaching the weight to the foot for use, the prongs 0 0 are inserted in the opening between the hoof and the shoe, spoken of above. Then the hook end of the bolt 8 is inserted in the hole 1" in the shoe through the slot j, the outer end of the bolt being depressed until the hook is entered, when the bolt is raised into the slot j and the nut d screwed on its end in the recess a, the lower sides of which, as before stated, prevent the nut and bolt from coming out of the slot. At the same time the inner end of the bolt 8 is prevented from rising out of the hole in the shoe by the upper side of the slot j, against which it rests. The prongs 0 0 are capable of being easily bent, so as to fit the various augles of different hoofs.

I am aware that toe-weights have heretofore been attached to the shoe by means of screw-bolts passing through said weight and into a hole in the shoe, said hole being provided with screw-threads to receive the end of said screw-bolts. This construction, however, is objectionable in that of the expense of tapping the screw-hole in the shoe, as also the liability ofthe bolt becomingbent by the weight striking a stone or other projection, in which case it is impossible to remove the bolt by unscrewing it. The advantages of my improve ment are such that anyblacksmith can punch the plain hole in the shoe, whereby the weight is readily attached by means of the hooked bolt and secured in place by the outer nut. In case ofthe bolt becoming bent by the weight striking against an obstruction, the parts are readily detached by unscrewing the outer bolt.

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The weight A, having a slot and recess in its lower end, substantially as described, and furnished with one or more prongs, 0 0, in combination with the bolt sand screw-nut d, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ROLAND KING.

Witnesses:

A. S. ERVING, E. G. BRIGGS. 

